Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

संकल्प्य कपिलां तत्र पुराणोक्तविधानतः । समायात्त्वरितं तत्र यत्रासौ तिष्ठते द्विजः

Transliteration

saṃkalpya kapilāṃ tatra purāṇoktavidhānataḥ | samāyāttvaritaṃ tatra yatrāsau tiṣṭhate dvijaḥ

Translation

Nachdem er dort gemäß der im Purāṇa gelehrten Vorschrift den Saṅkalpa gefasst hatte, eine kapilā—eine rötlichbraune Kuh—zu verschenken, kehrte er eilends an den Ort zurück, wo jener Brāhmaṇa wartete.

Word by Word

• saṃkalpya: having resolved/decided
• saṃkalpya: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ√kḷp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी-धातु; अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम्

• kapilām: a tawny cow (Kapilā)
• kapilām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• purāṇa-ukta-vidhānataḥ: according to the procedure stated in the Purāṇa
• purāṇa-ukta-vidhānataḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ukta (कृदन्त) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (पुराणे उक्तं विधāनम्); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: -तः) = ‘विधानतः’; क्रियाविशेषण

• samāyāt: came/arrived
• samāyāt: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: samā√yā (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tvaritam: quickly
• tvaritam: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tvarita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (accusative of manner)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक (relative locative adverb)

• asau: that (person)
• asau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tiṣṭhate: stands/remains
• tiṣṭhate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• dvijaḥ: the brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa context; traditionally Sūta in many recensions)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, having made a formal saṅkalpa, prepares a kapilā cow-gift according to Purāṇic injunctions and hastens back to the waiting brāhmaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (cow, donation)
• Saṅkalpa
• Purāṇic procedure (vidhi)
• Brāhmaṇa (dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is fulfilled through intention (saṅkalpa) joined with correct method (vidhi) and timely action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context suggests sacred space, but the verse focuses on purāṇokta ritual procedure rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṅkalpa for kapilā-gau-dāna (donation of a tawny cow) performed according to Purāṇic injunction.